MyTown, the largest co-living brand in the Philippines owned by Philippines Urban Living Solutions, saw a rise in corporate partnerships for staff housing over the last 12 months as companies cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Companies have included staff housing in their Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) to reduce late or absent employees, COVID-19 risk infection among commuting employees, employee churn, and to address lower productivity associated with Work from Home (WFH) arrangements.
“We have seen a dramatic increase in staff housing by more than 70 percent over the last year. The number of inquiries and sector diversity more than doubled over the same period,” said Jogee Arellano, chief leasing officer of MyTown.
Equipped with furnished rooms, extensive amenities, effective and comprehensive COVID-19 protocols, housekeeping, daily meal plans, and accessibility for Makati and Bonifacio Global City (BGC) corporate offices, MyTown has provided a one-stop-shop solution to its partners.
China Banking Corp (China Bank), one of the leading private universal banks in the Philippines and who recently celebrated its 100th year of banking service, is one of MyTown’s corporate clients.
China Bank president William Whang said MyTown was able to provide staff housing for a number of company employees, to safely, conveniently and efficiently support operations.”
The Aboitiz Group, a multifaceted investment company, houses its employees at MyTown due to its proximity to their head office in BGC.
“MyTown has helped us protec tthe well-being of all our team members by ensuring they get to the workplace conveniently, without any worries about how to get there or whether they will get there,” saidCzarina Markines, administrative manager at Aboitiz Power, the Aboitiz Group’s power arm.
Another corporate client is KMC Solutions, the country’s largest provider of flexible workspace and staff leasing solutions.
It wanted to provide added reassurance to its employees by reducing their risk of contamination in publi transportation commute.
Alex Gomez, the Vice President of People & Culture at KMC Solutions, said MyTown’s locations help avoid the need for public transportation, which drastically helps limit coronavirus exposure from commuting.
“Our employees can now walk to work, save on their disposable income, and still enjoy their time off work at MyTown’s amenities,” Gomez said.
MyTown worked with experts at INSEAD last year to find that up to 98 percent of the average young professional’s human contacts in a typical workday are from public transportation.